Mold for boots and shoes



. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. F. PRESTON.

MOLD PoR BOOTS AND SHOES.

No. 269,460. Patented Deo.19,1882.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. I'. PRESTON'.

MOLD FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

No. 269,460. Patented Deo. l19, 1882.,

\ z .O c Y IH- x.. il l i @l I WQ H INVENTOR'.

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UNITED STATESV PATENT OFFICE...

ALBERT F. PRESTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

MOLD FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 269,460, dated December19, 1882. Application filed October 16, 188:2. (No model.)

To all w/Lom it may 001mm Be it known that I, ALBERT F. PRESTON, ofBoston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have inventeda certain newV and useful Improvement in Molds, of which the followingis a description sufciently full, clear, and exact to enable any personskilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a-part of this specification, in which- Figure l is`anisometrical perspective view ofthe bed-die of the mold; Fig. 2 a viewcfa boot or shoe upper formed in the mold; Fig. 3, a view of an upperimperfectly molded; and Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section of thebeddie, taken on the line rr, Fig. 1. Fig .'5 is a perspective viewofthe base-die with the auxiliary die which forms a part of the facethereof removed. Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the male die inposition on the female die.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures ofthe drawings.

My invention relates to that class of molds which are employed inmolding the uppers of boots andshoes; and it consists in a novelconstruction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully setforth and claimed, by which a more effective device of this character isproduced than is now in ordinary use.

Thenatureand operation oftheimprovement will be readily understood byall conversant with such matters by the following explanation:

In the drawings, A represents the bed-die of the mold; B, the auxiliarydie; A', the top or male die, and C the slide. The base-die A isprovided with'a concavity, D, into which the corresponding convex faceof a male die, A', tits. The contour of said male die corresponds to thecontour of that portion of the last with which the upper comes incontact in lasting the shoe. The central portion of the concaved face ofthe die A is provided with a recess or mortise, D, in which is averticallymovable auxiliary die, B, the face of which corresponds in itsoutlines with the concavity D ofthe base die, A, and forms a part oftheface of said die A. This auxiliary die rests on A springs m, interposedbetween its lower face .clamped and immovably and the bottoni ot' therecess. These springs normally hold the auxiliary dieabove the concaveface of the die A, and permit it to he pressed down iiush therewith,when the male die comes down upon the base-die. A section, O, of the dieA, corresponding' with the shank d of the upper E, is dovetailed orfitted to slide horizontally in said die, being provided with a spring.fr, for forcing it inwardly or toward lthe die B, as shown in Figs. land 4.

In molding the upper by meansof my improved die, the blank is laid flator placed horizontally on the auxiliary die B, with the toe a over thepart z, and the ankle b over the part lo of the die A. An upper or maledie corresponding with or fitting the bed-die A, and operated by propermechanism, is then caused to descend, grasping or clamping the blankbetween the central portion of its face and the die B, where it issecurely held until the upper die descends to its fullest extent, and israised again out of contact with the blank.y After the blank is clamped,as described, between the upper die and die B, the upper die continuesto descend,compressing the springs m and forcing the die B downwarduntil the upper surface is on a level with the bottom of the cavity D inthe die A, thus molding the blank, or causing it to conform withtheshape of said cavity in a manner which will be readily obviouswithout a. more explicitdescrip tion.

In dies of this character for molding or forming` the uppers of bootsand shoes much diiculty has been experienced on account of the tendencyof the upper to wrinkle or pocker at the ankle, as seen at G, Fig.^3,themolding process lengthening the lines or edges g h i le of the blank,and thus crowdingthe stock into the central or ankle portion of thesame, where it becomes set or permanently iixed by the action ofthe die.4This diiculty is entirely obviated by means ofthe auxiliary dieVB,between which and the upper die the blank is held until the edges aremolded. There has also. been more or less dicultyin molding the shank lof the upper properly on dies of this character, the stock crowding intothis portion of the blank, thus causing the molded upper to bepermanently wrinkled, as seen at H, Fig. `3. This ldefect I ICC-l1orizontally, as seen at C, Figs. 1 and 4. and

provide the same with a spring, x, for forcing it inwardly toward thedie B. By this means,

when the male die descends, and the shank d of the upper E is graspedbetween the same nud the slide O, the slide Will yield or move laterallyto a sufficient extent to prevent the blankfrom being crowded togetherand permanently vwrinkled at the shank, as would be the casev were theslide not used, on account of the sharp curvature of the dies at thispoint. 1 also use a similar slide, when necessary, wherever there is asharp curvein thedes-as, for instancetabmfe the heel and overtheinstep'- but deem it unnecessary to show more than one to illustratethe principle of this part oi' theinvention.

An upper molded as described is devoid of wrinkles, conforms to theshape ofthe last or foot, and will retain its proper form much longerthan when lnoldedin theordinary inanner.

It Will be understood that the upper surface of the die B is c oncaved,or corresponds with the ankle portion ot' the last orfoot, the centralportion of the male die being constructed to tit the same.

1t will also be understood that two sets of 3o dies are required foreach boot or shoeone to mold the inside and the other the outsidequarter.

As I propose to make a boot or shoe upper molded in the manner describedthe subjectmatter ot' other Letters Patent, I dol 'not claim the sainein this application; hut,

Having thus explained my invention, what I herein claim is-' A 1. In amold for forming the uppers of boots and shoes, the bed-die A, providedwith the auxiliary or yielding die B, mounted in a recess or inortise in4the die A, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a niold for iorniing the uppers of' boots and shoes, the hed-dieA, provided with the slide C, substantially as-and for the purpose setforth.

3. In a mold for forming,` the uppers of boots and slices, the bed-nieA, auxiliary die B,

" mounted in a recess or mortise in the die A, and slide G, combined andarranged to operate substantially as described.

ALBERT F. PRESTON.

Witnesses C. A. SHAW, H. E. MEroALF.

